7. AFC West

I really wanted to label the Chargers and Broncos as Super Bowl contenders.

The Chargers have everything needed to be a contender, yet every year they fall apart when it matters.

Perhaps 2012 will be different, but as it stands, San Diego must be judged by their poor excuse for a postseason track record.

They have an elite talent level but for some reason refuse to become an elite team.

On the other hand, the Broncos now have a Super Bowl quarterback in Peyton Manning.

But are there enough pieces around him to form one of the best teams in football?

The defense ranked in the bottom half of the league last season in numerous major categories, and the leading receiver was Eric Decker.

Manning can elevate the play of those around him, but to consider Denver a Super Bowl contender already seems a bit rash.

As for the Chiefs and Raiders, both teams are listed as leftovers. In reality, it would not be shocking to see either of them earn a Wild Card berth.

The Raiders will need superb play out of Carson Palmer, the kind of play that has not been seen in a few years.

And the Chiefs will need consistent play out of their quarterback Matt Cassel. They will also need to compensate for the loss of cornerback Brandon Carr, who was a major component of their sixth-ranked passing defense from a season ago.

They will have no problem making the playoffs and will hover between 11 and 13 wins.

But what about everyone else?

The Bills are a team on the rise with enough talent to cause some serious waves in the AFC.

Adding Stephon Gilmore through the draft and Mario Williams in free agency will drastically improve their lackluster defense from a season ago.

If the Bills can combine that improved defense with more consistent play from Ryan Fitzpatrick and the offense, Buffalo's potential becomes almost endless.

However, anyone who thinks they know what to expect out of the Jets is simply a fool.

This team has tons of talent, to be sure, but between the locker room issues and the QB drama, there are too many combustible parts to "Gang Green" to know if they will return to elite form or flounder in mediocrity.

Yet flounder is just what the Dolphins have set themselves up to do in 2012.

Miami has talent sporadically throughout the roster, but with an undecided QB situation and one of the NFL's weakest receiving corps, there is little reason to expect an offense that can keep the Dolphins in games.

The Steelers and Ravens are always at the top of the conference, the Browns are at the bottom and the Bengals like to fluctuate between good and bad.

It has been the blueprint of the division for around a decade.

Expect no change in 2012.

The Browns are unfortunately still the Browns. No one knows quite how the Brandon Weeden experiment will pan out, but even if he is great, there are limited pieces around him outside of Trent Richardson.

The AFC North, and the conference in general, is way too good for Cleveland. However, the same cannot be said for the Bengals.

Cincinnati proved they could overcome their youth last season. With a Top Ten defense returning, along with the continued growth of guys like A.J. Green and Andy Dalton, this is a team capable of double-digit victories.

And, of course, the Steelers and Ravens will again fight it out for division supremacy (assuming Ray Rice does not hold out into the regular season) and make serious runs at the Super Bowl.